The No. 11 Michigan State Spartans travel to State College to face the No. 14 Penn State Nittany Lions in a Big Ten dual meet.
Michigan State is coming off a narrow road victory over Michigan, posting its first 197-plus score of the season with event highs across the board. Junior Makayla Tucker captured her first career all-around title, while Sage Kellerman claimed event wins with a near-perfect 9.975 on vault and a 9.925 on bars. The Spartans tallied ten routines at 9.900 or better, including four on floor.
Penn State will be competing in its second meet of the week after securing a fifth straight 196-plus score in a loss to LSU on Friday night. The Nittany Lions posted a season high 49.200 on beam led by Dani Latronica’s career high 9.900. Alyssa Kramer’s 9.875 highlighted a consistent floor showing of 49.175 including all scores at 9.800 or better.
This meet will be streamed on BIG+ at 2:00 p.m. ET, and scores can be found on Virtius. Not a B1G+ subscriber? Sign up today for the monthly pass with the code COLLEGEGYM3 for just $10.99/month (regularly $12.99/month).
Rotation 1: Penn State VT, Michigan State UB
Leary (PSU): Y Full, great height, and a small hop. 9.800.
Howard (MSU): Ray to overshoot, clean, nice hit handstands, high double back with a small hop. 9.750.
Cash (PSU): Y Full, height and amplitude is good. A little to the side and a hop. 9.775.
Tucker (MSU): Toe on to Maloney right into a clean overshoot, right on top of the bar. Toe on front half to a stick! 9.850.
Kaempfer (PSU): Y 1.5, clean in the air but underroatates it and has to take a step back. 9.800.
Cosman (MSU): Toe on to Maloney, beautiful hit handstands. Blind full is a little to the side but gets the stick on the double tuck. 9.825.
Latronica (PSU): Y full, high off the table but a small hop. 9.800.
Abney (MSU): Slight arch in the back on the first handstand. Toe on to Tkatchev, right to an overshoot. Blind full to a double tuck a small hop foward. 9.775.
Johanson (PSU): Y full, clean form in the air and another hop. 9.875.
Smith (MSU): Toe on Maloney to Pak right on top of the bar. Strong handstands and a stuck double layout to finish. 9.850.
Piedrahita (PSU): Omelianchik, is clean in the air, a little hop on the landing. 9.725.
Kellerman (MSU): Straddled Jaeger to overshoot, hits it right on top of the bar. Short handstands to a double layout and a stick. A cool celebration. 9.900.
AFTER ONE: Michigan State (49.200), Penn State (49.050)
A really nice showing by the Spartans on their weakest event to get off to a great start. The Nittany Lions were consistent throughout but didn’t really have any actual sticks. This rotation pretty much went as expected for both teams to set the stage for what should be a very competitive meet.
Rotation 2: Michigan State VT, Penn State UB
Halsell (MSU): Y Full, great amplitude and form with a small hop. 9.725.
Monahan (PSU): Toe on to Maloney, right back down to Pak, a little form issue on the legs. High FTDT to a stick! 9.800.
Duplissis (MSU): Y 1.5, nice height and block off the table to a stick! 9.825.
Johanson (PSU): Straddled Tkatchev, a little close to the bar. Nice Pak salto to a half pirouette. Double layout to a bounce back. 9.725.
Marquart (MSU): Y 1.5, another great block to a stick. 9.850.
Leary (PSU): Straddled Jaeger to a clean overshoot. Blind full double back a little shuffle in place. 9.850.
Tucker (MSU): Y 1.5, nice block and height, but a large step forward. 9.875.
Cash (PSU): Beautiful Piked Jaegar, great transition to an overshoot. Blind full to a high double tuck and another stuck landing. 9.900.
Smith (MSU): Y 1.5, another great vault off the table with a small hop. 9.875.
Piedrahita (PSU): Toe on Maloney, nice Pak, toe on transition to a full in with a stick! 9.825.
Kellerman (MSU): FHS front pike half, a little early on the table with a small hop back. 9.850.
Latronica (PSU): Hop change to piked Jaegar. Nice overshoot on top of the bar. Toe on to front pike half, couldn’t quite stick it. 9.825.
AFTER TWO: Michigan State (98.475), Penn State (98.250)
Penn State’s strongest event is bars and it came through again led by Cash’s 9.900. More importantly, the team found several stuck landings. Michigan State started slow, but continually increased scores led by Tucker and Smith’s 9.850. Halfway through, this remains a close one with both teams separated by less than a quarter of a point.
Rotation 3: Penn State BB, Michigan State FX
Monahan (PSU): Front toss to a BHS swingdown is clean. Pretty full turn. Beat jump to staddled 3/4 is at 180. RO 1.5 with a stick. 9.850.
Lebster (MSU): FHS Rudi layout stepout is floaty and high. Great dance elements throughout. FHS double full a little off to the side with the step forward. 9.850.
Maul (PSU): BHS BHS LOSO with a little balance check. Switch leap to a straddle side is right above 180. RO 1.5 with a little hop. 9.825
Cosman (MSU): RO back 1.5 front tuck is a tiny bit off center. Straddle full is a bit under 180. Back 1.5 front full is clean. 9.800.
McElligott (PSU): BHS BHS LOSO a little hip bend and has to lift her leg to stay on. Switch leap to straddle side is good. RO 1.5 to a stuck landing. 9.800.
Duplissis (MSU): Full in pike is high and controlled. Straddle half to straddle 3/4 not quite 180 but still good height on those jumps. RO back 1.5 front layout has great amplitude. 9.825.
Herring (PSU): Front toss to BHS is controlled. Beat jump to split 3/4. Front tucked full off the end to a stick. 9.900.
Ortiz (MSU): Full in is high and goes straight to the lunge. Front through to a double tuck has nice height and lunge. Switch side to straddle full is at 180 and a nice ending. 9.825.
Kramer (PSU): Beautiful full turn. BHS LOSO with a little bend of the legs. Front toss is right on. Split 3/4 is right over the top of the beam. Front tucked full with a small hop. 9.850.
Tucker (MSU): FHS Rudi layout stepout with small leg separation. Really getting her team involved with the dance. FHS Front double full into a controlled lunge. 9.875.
Latronica (PSU): Front aerial to a beat jump is nice. BHS LOSO is high and nails the landing. Cartwheel to a gainer full to a big stick. 9.925.
Smith (MSU): FTDT has good height and immediately gets to the lunge. Love the energy in her dance moves. Front through to a double tuck and lunges right out of it. Puts on her own crown. Amazing routine. 9.950.
AFTER THREE: Michigan State (147.800), Penn State (147.600)
Penn State continues to be really strong, posting its season high on beam with a 49.350 including two 9.9+ scores by Latronica and Herring. Michigan State is matching them, making it really hard for the Nittany Lions to catch up as Nikki Smith anchored with a 9.950. Through three rotations, just two tenths separate both teams. This promises to be an exciting finish.
Rotation 4: Michigan State BB, Penn State FX
Abney (MSU): Wolf turn is steady. BHS LOSO is clean with no wobbles. Switch leap to a leap is high above 180. Aerial back tucked 1.5 to a stuck landing. 9.825.
Leary (PSU): FHS Front double full to a front tuck is well centered to a lunge. Switch ring to a single stag jump. RO back 1.5 is great and keeps rising. 9.850.
Tucker (MSU): Front aeriel to a BHS is good. Split 3/4 is over the beam and controlled. Good extension on the aerial. Gainer full to a stick. 9.850.
Monahan (PSU): Front double full has nice height. Switch full to popa. RO 1.5 has height and power and her teammates are excited! 9.775.
Misenheimer (MSU): Front aeriel to beat jump. BHS LOSO lands with her arms straight down and hits the landing. BHS Gainer Full, lands with her chest up and ends with a stick. 9.825.
Misiura (PSU): Front double full to a good lunge and goes straight into her dance. Front full front layout, keeps rising. She has beautiful form on all her skills. 9.775.
Smith (MSU): BHS LOSO lands straight up to nail the finish. Beat jump to split half gets the half twist around and hits the 180. High RO double back with a small hop back. 9.875.
Johanson (PSU): RO double pike, gets nice height and maintains good form throughout. Love that she’s getting her team involved in her dance. RO back 1.5, front half to a stick. 9.800.
Trostel (MSU): Good full turn to start. Switch leap to swtich side hits above 180. Front aerial beat jump is clean. BHS LOSO, pops her hip a little to the side. BHS Gainer full with another stuck landing. 9.875.
McElligott (PSU): Double tuck has good height, really floats it in the air. Switch ring to switch half is pretty. RO back 1.5 front layout is smooth, comes right out of it and stays in bounds.
Cosman (MSU): Double wolf turn is solid. Aerial to BHS is steady, both legs were a bit bent in the air. RO back 1.5 with a little lean to a stick. 9.900.
Kramer (PSU): Love the little foot movement to start. FHS Front double full, has good height in the air. FHS Rudi back layout stepout to a solid lunge. She has great form in all of her leaps and passes. 9.850.
FINAL: Michigan State (197.125), Penn State (196.725)
VT: Johanson, Tucker, Smith (9.875)
UB: Cash, Kellerman (9.900)
BB: Latronica (9.925)
FX: Smith (9.950)
AA: Smith (39.550)
Michigan State’s best event is beam and it finished strong there today. The Spartans post their second straight 197+ away score. The Nittany Lions get their sixth straight 196+ score with a 196.725, the second highest this season. This was particularly impressive given that they had two meets this weekend having also competed at LSU on Friday night.
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